A conventional position sensor that inputs a sine wave and a cosine wave into a sine coil and a cosine coil, respectively, and that detects a position of a target based on an output signal obtained from a receiver coil is known (for example, refer to PTL 1 and PTL 2). This position sensor is adapted to detect the position of the target by measuring a phase of the output signal of the receiver coil since the phase of the output signal of the receiver coil changes depending on the position of the target when the sine wave and the cosine wave are input into the sine coil and the cosine coil, respectively.
This position sensor is adapted to generate the sine wave and the cosine wave by modulating a high-frequency signal, and to input the sine wave and the cosine wave generated by modulating the high-frequency signal into the sine coil and the cosine coil, respectively. This position sensor is adapted to then demodulate the output signal of the receiver coil and to measure the phase of the demodulated signal.
In addition, this position sensor is adapted to input the sine wave and the cosine wave that have a first phase relationship into the sine coil and the cosine coil in a first mode, and to input the sine wave and the cosine wave that have a second phase relationship into the sine coil and the cosine coil in a second mode, respectively. The position sensor is adapted to then measure the phase of the output signal of the receiver coil in the first mode and the phase of the output signal of the receiver coil in the second mode, and to calculate a phase component corresponding to the position of the target based on these phases.
The conventional position sensor has complicated circuitry and may require a long time for detection of the position of the target.